Of Books and Chatter
by Nobody Apologist
Summary: Ib never really thought that she'd be involved in anything cliche, but there she was: finding love in a small bookstore.


**Haven't written these two in a while, and I gotta say that I missed writing them.**

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><p>Ib was growing used to the blonde girl's presence.<p>

She'd first come into the small bookstore about two weeks ago, dragging an annoyed looking boy behind her. She caught sight of Ib behind the counter and immediately marched over to her.

"Do you have any books about the Renaissance? I've gotta do a paper about it and I need at least two book sources."

Soon after Ib had directed her towards where the history books were kept, the blonde came back up to the counter with a book in each hand. She continued to talk about the paper she had to write, and what course it was for, and how she didn't actually mind the teacher too much, and how she did like reading, but preferred fiction to nonfiction.

Ib was impressed that she'd managed to squeeze all of it into the short amount of time it took Ib to ring up the books and take the money from her.

"Mary, I swear if you take any longer -"

Mary exhaled sharply as she grabbed the recently purchased books off the counter. She waved goodbye to Ib before she shoved the boy, who Ib had almost forgotten about, through the door and out onto the sidewalk.

Mary came back two days after that, this time on her own. She asked Ib where the detective novels were in the fiction section. Ib walked out from behind the counter and lead Mary towards the books in question as the other girl talked about how her father's birthday was the next day and how much he loved mystery novels. After deciding on a fairly new addition to the store ("I don't think he has this one yet"), she turned the conversation to her opinions of mystery novels. She went into great detail about how they'd always scared her when she was younger as the two girls made their way back to the front of the store. She asked what Ib thought of them once they'd reached the counter.

"Some of them are really good, but I find them all a bit hard to get into."

The ever present smile on Mary's face grew even larger at that. She then launched into a spiel of how that was exactly how she felt about them and how she'd never actually had someone agree with her on the subject before.

She waved even more enthusiastically than she had the first time on her way out.

Mary's visits became a regular occurrence, and would increase in length every time until she would stay the majority of Ib's shift. She'd always buy something by the end of the day, but she'd spend most of her time talking to Ib over the counter before doing so. The store was never too crowded so Mary would often browse the shelves whenever another customer came in and immediately make her way back to the counter once they'd left.

The previous one-sided communication soon evolved into actual conversations between the two girls as Mary soon began asking Ib questions that required more than a one word answer.

"What are you studying? And if you say Literature I'm going to cry."

"I don't think we have any tissues."

"Don't you get cute with me, missy."

Two weeks after Mary's first visit, Garry asked Ib a question she never thought she'd hear him ask.

"Has she asked you out yet?"

Ib slipped her arm into her coat sleeve before giving the man behind the counter a confused look. As far as she knew Mary had never run into her employer.

"You know that history class I'm taking?"

Ib nodded.

"Well there's a girl in it with me that will talk about a 'cute brunette girl at the bookstore on Rose Street' to anyone who'll listen, and considering that I've only got one brunette employee, it didn't take long to put two and two together." He nodded towards the far corner. "The security cameras also helped."

Ib shook her head as she finished putting her coat on.

"Well, if she doesn't within the next three visits then you ask her," Garry called out to Ib as she left the store.

Ib was mercifully spared from having to come up with a way to ask Mary on a date by the blonde herself. Ib's shift was nearing its end, and Mary had just bought herself yet another adventure novel when she cleared her throat.

"So, you're cute. I'm cute. Do you wanna be cute together and go get something to eat?"

Ib ignored both the congratulatory thumbs up from Garry and the noises of disbelief from Mary as the two girls left the store, hand in hand.

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><p><strong>That boy Mary dragged in with her at the beginning was Mistake by the way.<strong>


End file.
